Tool Time: MTA Didn't Read Patriot Act

Declaration of Dependence

This guy is great!!!

The Coming Civil War: Producers Vs. Parasites

Great article with some very disturbing facts about our country's debt and how we are creating two classes of citizens in the United States. The first class of citizens, the Producers, are those individuals that get up every day, go to work, pay their taxes and generally try to provide for their families. The second class of citizens, the Parasites, are the ones that do nothing except collect a check from the government, which they get because the Producers pay their taxes.
The Coming Civil War: Producers Vs. Parasites
By BRADLEY HARRINGTON

For The Bulletin

“The task of defining ideas and goals is not the province of politicians and is not accomplished at election time: elections are merely consequences. The task belongs to the intellectuals. The need is more urgent than ever.”

- Ayn Rand, “The Wreckage of the Consensus,” 1967 -

When Ayn Rand wrote the above words 43 years ago, the country was still stocked with a large majority of producers. Yes, the so-called “welfare” state and interventionist economics were on the rise, and had been for decades, but many more people than not supported themselves and their families by their own efforts.

If you still think that’s true, you had better think again.

In that year of 1967, for instance, the United States had a population of 198 million, a GDP of $825 billion, a federal budget of $157 billion and federal “social welfare” expenses of $26 billion. This placed “social welfare” spending at $131.30 per capita, 3.1 percent of GDP and 16.6 percent of federal outlays.

In 2010, the United States has a population of 308 million, a GDP of $13.3 trillion, a federal budget of $3.6 trillion and federal “social welfare” expenses of $2.1 trillion. This places “social welfare” spending at $6,818.18 per capita, 16.1 percent of GDP and 59 percent of federal outlays.

In the light of such figures, it’s pretty clear that our “social welfare” outlays have skyrocketed. And that’s just federal spending, folks - that doesn’t count the state and local outlays.

Given such data, I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to say that fully half of our population is receiving government aid of some sort and amount from the other half.

And this guess, while a guess, is at least close, for the tax figures bear it out: In 2008, IRS figures show that the top 50 percent of the country’s adult population (with incomes greater than $33,000) paid 97.3 percent of collected taxes, while the bottom 50 percent paid the other piddling 2.7 percent.

And if you (mistakenly) think that this is the price we pay for “helping the poor,” you’d better check your premises on that one as well: for despite the untold trillions of dollars we’ve poured into the so-called “War on Poverty” since 1967 alone, when 31.8 million people lived under the poverty line, we now have 38.9 million people there instead. This isn’t “welfare”; this is parasites living at the expense of the producers - period!

Back in the early 1970s’, when I was still a fresh young lad, my father told me something that I’ll never forget: “When 50 percent or more of the country lives on the dole, you can kiss your freedoms goodbye.”

Well, welcome to the future. The 2008 election of radical left-winger Barack Obama and a host of additional tax-and-spend Congressional Democrats was the tipping point.

For how many more years does anyone seriously think such a trend can continue? Carried to its logical extreme, we will end up with one producer supporting an entire nation of parasites. Which is clearly impossible.

So, where’s the snapping point? At what point of the trend do the producers simply revolt and refuse to play their perennial role of self-sacrificial serfs? Like most human phenomena, it’s a bell curve. Some people have already dropped out and off the radar, and more and more are joining them with every passing year.

And the “bell” of that curve? It’s approaching us much faster than we think, and we are headed directly towards civil war. Hence the “Tea Party” revolution, which has gained steam precisely in step with the mushrooming level of servitude.

So, for the Republicans and the “Tea-Partiers” getting ready to celebrate what looks to be near-certain victory come November 2nd, be advised: you are getting ready to step in front of a train.

And that train, loaded down with every free-loading moocher and looter in the country who thinks they have a “right” to exist at the expense of everyone else, can’t be resisted politically: it has to be challenged ideologically. For the only way to prevent the upcoming wreck is to reduce that percentage rate below 50 percent, which means: to educate our population as to just how it is that their true best interests, both socially and economically, lie in the unfettered freedom of the capitalist marketplace.

And you’d better get busy at it, for our time is running out.

Bradley Harrington is a former U.S. Marine and a writer who lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming.



End of Liberty

A very disturbing movie about the loss of Americans' freedom at the hands of our own government. While some parts of this movie are a little far fetched and are way outside the mainstream it is still worth watching as it really shows how liberty and freedom are being lost in this country on a daily basis.

Should it be illegal to post ad seeking Christian roommate?

More unwarranted intrusion by the government in a person's personal business.

GRAND RAPIDS -- The 31-year-old nursing student was looking to keep her expenses down when she decided to invite someone to share her home.

But when she posted an advertisement for a Christian roommate on her local church's bulletin board, the Grand Rapids woman landed in the middle of a civil rights debate that has her facing a complaint of alleged illegal housing discrimination.

The advertisement contained the sentence, "I am looking for a Christian roommate," said Joel Oster, senior litigation counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, which represents the woman.

Someone saw the ad over the summer and anonymously filed a civil rights complaint with the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan. The complaint was then filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the woman was notified at the end of September.

"I think it's a clear violation on its face," said Nancy L. Haynes, executive director of the local Fair Housing Center. "It's an advertisement that clearly violates the Fair Housing Act."

Although the woman might choose a roommate based on religion, say, after interviewing the person over coffee, she cannot publish an ad with that intent, Haynes said.

"She can choose to rent to a Christian, that's her prerogative," she said. "It's a separate violation to make a discriminatory statement, to publish a discriminatory statement."

But Oster said the law protects his client's rights and allows her to "seek a roommate of similar faith."

"That's insane to think that a person cannot request and seek out a Christian roommate," Oster said. "Each statute protects the right of a person to have a roommate of their own choosing."

The Alliance Defense Fund is a Christian legal group. In a statement released Thursday, Oster added, "Christians shouldn't live in fear of being punished by the government for being Christians. It is completely absurd to try to penalize a single Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate at church -- an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity.

"Not content to just lock Christians and their beliefs into the four walls of their church or home, some groups also want to invade those walls and force their own ideas upon them by force of law."

Oster declined to identify his client, citing privacy concerns.

A section in the Fair Housing Act does prevent people from publishing an advertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicap with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling, said Harold Core, director of public affairs for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

There are exemptions for gender when there is a shared living space, Haynes said.

Core did not comment on the Grand Rapids woman's case specifically, or what could happen in her case.

"It's really difficult to say at this point what could potentially happen," he said.

The MDCR might talk to witnesses, do site visits and request documents. In some cases, depending on the cooperation of the parties involved, a person found to have committed a civil rights violation might have to reimburse another individual who suffered damages, Core said.

"Sometimes it is just a change in policies or practices that are found to be discriminatory," he said.

The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan might ask for an initial reimbursement of $300 for time spent on the issue and training for the woman, in addition to pulling down the ad, Haynes said.

"Our interest really lies in her getting some training so that this doesn't happen again," she said.

The Alliance Defense Fund sent a letter to the MDCR asking that the complaint be dismissed, but has not received a response.

The situation would be different if the woman was a landlord, or ran an apartment complex, Oster said.

"That's a totally different ball game," he said of the woman, who lives in her own home.

But Haynes said this case is not much different.

"This is about a business transaction," she said. "While she's not a landlord per se, she is looking for someone to pay her to live in her house."

I whole heartily agree with intent of the Fair Housing Act, which is a landlord should not be allowed to discriminate against renters based on a persons race, ethnicity or religion. However, when a person is looking for a roommate the fair housing act should not be enforced as generally the intent of getting a roommate is to help defray housing costs, not to generate income, which is what a landlord is doing by renting.

Also because you are sharing the same living space a person's compatibility to be a roommate will be based on additional factors other than ability to pay. Could you imagine how well two roommates might get along say if an Orthodox Jew decided to rent a room in their house but because of religious reasons the Christian roommate was prohibited from using the lights and stove on the Sabbath and had to learn to cook kosher meals? Wouldn't it be easier if the Orthodox Jew were allowed to just put an ad in local synagogue's newsletter seeking an Orthodox Jewish roommate rather than turning down every Christian who answered the ad ,which is what that idiot Nancy L. Haynes, executive director of the local Fair Housing Center, stated was the proper thing to do. Yes, Ms. Haynes we should all waste our time and offend people unnecessarily so that we can follow the letter of law and ignore basic common sense.

A child should lead Arlington

From the Boston Herald

By Michael Graham
July 1, 2010

In Yiddish, Sean Harrington is a kochleffel- a pot stirrer. He’s the kid who won’t sit down and shut up.

Three years ago, Sean showed up as a freshman at Arlington High and noticed that many classrooms were missing their American flags. He also picked up on the fact that, unlike most local schools, Arlington High didn’t begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Unfortunately for Arlington officials, he had the chutzpah to do something.

He complained. He questioned school officials. When I spoke to him yesterday, he said he was particularly annoyed when committee members couldn’t tell him why the pledge had been abandoned in the first place. “It’s their job to know.”

So he started gathering signatures on a petition to bring back the pledge.

Normally, students who annoy their classmates “speaking truth to power” are admired by edu-crats. That’s because typically these students are mush-headed liberals. Petitions denouncing Israel or for lauding GLBT diversity - these Arlington’s School Committee can handle.

But a kid who gathers signatures from folks like John Kerry and Charlie Daniels to support patriotism? Sean had Arlington school officials completely flummoxed.

In the end, however, Arlington’s elected School Committee deadlocked, and his proposal to begin each day with a voluntary recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance went down. Sean may have brought in 700 signatures, but Arlington liberals just needed three votes on the committee to keep it out.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1265035&srvc=home&position=emailed

We have truly lost the war when children are prevented from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance because teachers won't participate.

Dems seek cover to boost debt limit - Manu Raju - POLITICO.com##

The soldiers need our support so what do the Democrats do they use the soldiers so they can spend money we do not have on absurd social programs. Obama can't decide if McCrystal should get the troops necessary to win the war in Afghanistan but you can be assured that any Republicans that vote against this bill will be deemed a traitor by his Administration. At this point I think we just need to bring our troops home from every base around the world. I was always of the belief that our military was what kept the rest of the civilized world safe and I still believe that today but the rest of the world has taken our generosity for granted. The Europeans don't respect us even though it was because of our military that they weren't overrun by the Soviets during the Cold War. The Japanese hate our soldiers even though we are the only thing that keeps the Red Chinese from exacting revenge for the atrocities the Japanese committed during WWII. The South Koreans spit on our soldiers even though the only thing that keeps the North Koreans on their side of the DMZ. We have bases in more parts of the world than any other country. Its time to make the rest of the world foot the bill for their own peace and prosperity.


Dems seek cover to boost debt limit - Manu Raju - POLITICO.com##

Tea Parties Grow in Numbers But Can They Change Anything

Yes. America is still the land of the free and the home of the brave but we need action now! Our politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats do not represent us. Rather they represent the interests of their party and more imprtantly to them their own pockets.

"[Some] seem to think that [civilization's] advance has brought on too complicated a state of society, and that we should gain in happiness by treading back our steps a little way. I think, myself, that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious. I believe it might be much simplified to the relief of those who maintain it." --Thomas Jefferson to William Ludlow, 1824. ME 16:75

The role of the government is to protect the property of its people. This is a role that our government forgot long ago. With the enactment of the federal personal income tax the government was granted the right to take the fruits of our labor, which is our property, and redistribute it as it sees fit. Since the 1930's we have enacted more entitlement programs than we can afford, which has had disastrous results for our country. Our politicians will never admit this fact because they want to be reelected. They have forgotten that they are supposed to be in politics to serve the people not to gain more power for themselves. The fact of the matter is that in order to pay for all of these entitlement programs we borrow money and much like the homeowner who borrowed against the equity in their house to pay the mortgage there simply isn't anymore money left to borrow. Our politicians are as Jefferson so aptly put it "parasites" living on the fruits of our labor and it needs to stop now. One day our children will look at us with disdain because we have sold away their futures and were not willing to sacrifice today for their tomorrow.

"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men" -Plato

On the 4th of July, our Independence day, thousands of tea party rallies were held around the country to say enough is enough. In Morristown, New Jersey several thousand gathered, on the same ground that the Washington once did, to say as one "we will not take it anymore". http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2009/07/growing_numbers_at_antitax_tea.html